Fairhaven's north turbine off due to synchronizing problem

FAIRHAVEN — A voltage spike on the electric grid a few weeks ago is to blame for problems with Fairhaven's north turbine, according to developer Sumul Shah.

FAIRHAVEN — A voltage spike on the electric grid a few weeks ago is to blame for problems with Fairhaven's north turbine, according to developer Sumul Shah.

Shah said that the turbine has had a problem "synchronizing with the grid" since the spike, with the turbine able to run and produce energy but unable to get the energy on the grid.

"It is either an issue with the settings or a particular piece of hardware," Shah said. "We know exactly which components are effected and where the problem is, we just have to diagnose it."

Shah said spikes in voltage on the grid are not uncommon, and it is not clear why this one impacted the turbine. The south turbine was not effected by the spike because it connects to the grid on a different circuit than the north one, Shah said.

This is not the first problem to plague the north turbine. In November, the turbine stopped running for a few days due to a battery problem.

"We asked ourselves if the problems are related, but they are not," Shah said. "For some reason the north turbine just has had more issues than the south."